NEW YORK (WPIX)—
MTA board members were forced to face disturbing facts about the authority's new cost-cutting czar Tuesday night when they were confronted at a public hearing by PIX 11 News reporter Greg Mocker.It happened at The Cooper Union where the MTA was holding hearings on the closing of subway station booths and station agent layoffs.
Mocker was forced to take the dramatic step of addressing board members during the public comment period - since many had been avoiding his requests for information about the hiring of Diana Jones Ritter.
Ritter is joining the MTA on July 19 as managing director (at a salary of $217,000) and will oversee cost-cutting, day-to-day operations at headquarters, corporate affairs, government relations, procurement, real estate, human resources policy and pensions, capital programs, planning, sustainability and environmental compliance, and information technology.
Mocker started digging for information after MTA Chairman Jay Walder announced his hiring of Jones Ritter in a press release.
"Diana Jones Ritter is exactly the type of seasoned government professional who can help the MTA attack our cost structure and operate more efficiently," Walder said in the release. "Diana has a stellar track record at all levels of government and will hit the ground running overseeing this vital effort."
Mocker quickly discovered there was plenty the MTA didn't say.
Most glaring was a June 2010 investigation by the New York Senate Task Force on Government Efficiency. Sen. Jeffrey Klein (D-Bronx/Westchester), chairman of the Task Force on Government Efficiency, said of his findings: "Massive, unregulated overtime is plaguing our state coffers and will continue to bleed our state dry if we don't get it under control."
Klein told Mocker he holds Jones Ritter responsible for the runaway overtime - "she's the boss," he said - and he's surprised the MTA hired hire her to cut costs.
Also of concern to the Task Force on Government Efficiency was "a shockingly wasteful history at OMRDD with regard to purchasing properties for use as group homes." One example cited: When the OMRDD wanted a new group home in Westchester County, it bought a mini-mansion for $845,000. That was 63 percent over the average price of homes in the area. The house came with a pool and a hot tub - which Ritter's office filled in with concrete.
Since July 6, Mocker had been calling MTA board members, asking if they agreed with Walder's decision to hire Ritter. Most had avoided his phone calls after the MTA's chief of staff told them via email that Mocker was doing a "negative" report.
On Tuesday night, Mocker delivered copies of the task force report to the board members. He's still awaiting an answer to his original question.
GREG WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU. HE RETURNS EVERY EMAIL, AND EVERYTHING IS CONFIDENTIAL: mocker@wpix.com
